reconnecting fort wayne: infrastructure land use and ... - …

RECONNECTING FORT WAYNE: InfrastructureRECONNECTING FORT WAYNE: InfrastructureLand Use and Zoning

Prepared for City of Fort Wayne, Indiana

By Lindy WordlawCenter for Neighborhood Technology

April 2008

Reconnecting FoRt Wayne: infrastructure Land Use and Zoning

Reconnecting Fort Wayne: Land Use and ZoningAcknowledgementsThe Center for Neighborhood Technology would like to thank Mayor Graham Richard for his vision in initiating a multi-faceted review of opportunities for Fort Wayne to become a more sustainable city. We also thank Wendy Barrott for her energetic and thoughtful oversight of this and many other facets of the Reconnecting Fort Wayne consultation. Last but not least, we thank Planning Director Pam Holocher for her input and direction.

About the Center for Neighborhood TechnologyCNT serves as the umbrella for a number of projects and affiliate organizations, all of which help the organization fulfill its mission: to promote the development of more livable and sustainable urban communities. CNT’s transportation work is focused on using transportation assets to serve both the environmental and economic development goals of regions and communities. CNT works to boost demand for clean, efficient and affordable mass transit; increase the supply of traditional and non-traditional mass transit services; disclose the linkages between transportation costs and housing affordability; create model value-capture mechanisms that take advantage of the intersection of efficient transportation networks with community economic development programs; and promote policy initiatives that increase public participation in investment decisions and make more resources available for sustainable investments.

More information about CNT is available at www.cnt.org.

The Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) was founded in 1978 to research, adapt and test new community revitalization strategies relevant to urban communities, especially strategies that harnessed the environmental and economic value of the more efficient use of naturalresources. Over the years, CNT has worked to disclose the hidden assets of the Chicagoland economy and urban areas more broadly; demonstrate the multi-bottom line benefits of more resource-efficient policies and practices; and show how the value of what we demonstrated could be captured to benefit communities and their residents inclusively. CNT’s work, especially in the areas of energy, transportation, materials conservation and housing preservation, helped fuel a generation of community development institutions and learning, garnering us a reputation as an economic innovator and leader in the field of creative sustainable development.


Planning Tools: The Role of the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance

Local governments manage their growth and boundaries by very distinct land use controls determining both where and how they grow. The most common tools used by municipalities are comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, subdivision ordinances, and building and sanitation codes. The comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance exert by far the most influence on how cities develop and grow in the future.

The Comprehensive Plan The purpose of the comprehensive plan is to serve as a policy guide against which all future development in the jurisdiction is measured. In developing and maintaining a comprehensive plan, the municipality considers the physical, social and economic elements of its community. Planners analyze existing conditions and likely future trends to create an overview and strategic plan with goals and objectives for the community. It offers a coordinated, comprehensive approach to moving forward. The standard issues addressed, each generally with its own chapters in the Comprehensive Plan, include land use, transportation, housing, community facilities/services and economic development. Increasingly, comprehensive plans also include chapters on environment/natural resources, energy or utilities, and other regional concerns when appropriate, such as rural land, water resources/management or shoreline management.

The Relationship between the Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning OrdinanceThe comprehensive plan encapsulates the land use policies and vision statement of a municipality. However as a stand alone document, a comprehensive plan provides policy direction, but doesn’t have much legal influence. The municipality’s zoning ordinance se rves as the enforcer of the plan, translating policy into action. The Zoning Code needs to reflect the policies of the Comprehensive Plan, rather than act as a barrier to the Plan’s desired objectives, goals and outcomes.

In summary, the Comprehensive Plan is the principal land use policy document in the City of Fort Wayne. The zoning ordinance is the primary implementing document of the Comprehensive Plan. Together, they establish guidelines and regulate land use within the planning jurisdiction.

The Zoning OrdinanceZoning is a regulatory tool that essentially coordinates how and where land is used in a community. The first zoning ordinance, in New York City, was implemented primarily for the safety of its booming population. Though zoning is typically seen as the enforcer of a municipality’s Comprehensive Plan, many zoning ordinances in older cities pre-date a true comprehensive planning process. This can contribute to a long, ongoing disconnect between city policy and vision, and its implementation.

Typical zoning land use areas include designations for residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural, each with more specific categories and levels. As planning theory evolved over the 20th Century, so did zoning codes. There are four common types of zoning ordinances in the United States today: EuclidianEuclidian zoning is characterized by complete separation of uses and restrictive rules. Euclidian zoning was once the most common form of zoning. The name refers to its origins in Euclid, OH. It is now seen as an outdated planning theory, inflexible and a contributor to urban sprawl.

IncentiveIncentive zoning is characterized as a reward-based system to encourage development that meets established development goals. It initially establishes prescriptive limitations on development, but incentives are made available for developers to utilize at their discretion. For example, in New York City, developers are allowed to build higher when public amenities are included within the project. Chicago provides incentives for the inclusion of affordable housing. Such incentive systems are generally very flexible, but their implementation and alignment with city development goals is often complex.

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PerformancePerformance zoning is ccharacterized by performance criteria for a project review process for proposed development projects. A points-based system is often used in which developers can meet zoning goals through choosing from a menu of compliance options, such as affordable housing or additional public amenities. It is very flexible, but implementation involves complex decisions at the discretion of public officials in the planning process.

Form-based(Design-Based)Form-based zoning is characterized by both prescriptive and discretionary criteria that changes based on the development site. It acknowledges the important differences in planning objectives in different parts of a municipality, such as older, urbanized neighborhoods with small lots, short setbacks and mixed uses versus suburban-style development on larger lots with extended setbacks. Setbacks, height and design features are common elements addressed. It is very flexible, but the interpretation of form-based zoning is considered difficult. Many cities incorporate graphics – visual representations of desired outcomes – within their form-based ordinance.

The City of Fort Wayne’s Zoning Ordinance dates back to 1928 when “euclidian” zoning was standard practice. However, the zoning ordinance some eighty years later reflects a changing philosophy. Throughout the ordinance there are amendments that attempt to provide a cohesiveness and connectedness throughout the city through “form or design-based” zoning amendments. These changes to the ordinance acknowledge numerous concepts that include the importance of mixed uses in certain areas of the city, including the downtown core and surrounding areas, and commercial areas that vary from neighborhood to regional scale. This “patchwork-style” of zoning ordinance is common in older, well-established cities.

What is Sustainable Planning? For over 30 years in the United States, planners interested in sustainability have looked to Europe for guidance and examples. In 1983, the Brundtland Commission, convened by the United Nations to address increasing global environmental problems, defined sustainable development as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”1 Indeed, one could argue that the notion of sustainability goes back to our founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson was quoted as having espoused the following: “Then I say the earth belongs to each generation during its course, fully and in its own right, no generation can contract debts greater than can be paid during the course of its own existence.”2

The defining character of sustainable development is its focus on the conservation of resources and the creation of durable cities that can serve the needs of many generations. This may take many forms.Many cities take measures to minimize the dependence on the automobile. They build bike paths and bring back streetcar lines. Cities increasingly promote transit-oriented developments and green buildings. Despite good intentions, US planners have not yet been successful recreating sustainable communities like those found in Berlin, Copenhagen or other European cities. Daniel Lerch, Director of the Post Carbon Cities Program asserts that, “we’ve failed to examine the underlying differences in how we plan, regulate, own and invest in land and transportation. The key to North American sustainability, then, is not to build light rail lines everywhere but to change our land use and transportation planning practices so that sustainable urban patterns are automatically the most sensible and profitable things for both the public and private sectors to create.”3 Planners and elected/appointed officials are the key players in creating true sustainability in American cities.

Sustainable planning encompasses comprehensive planning and zoning, but it is far different from other modern approaches to address urban sustainability, which tend to be design-focused. Sustainable planning includes the interconnectedness between land use and transportation in physical planning and design, and makes the important connection between the built and the natural environments. Some of these connections, like energy, are very difficult to assess and plan for. It is present in everything from buildings to transportation to everyday life, and the multiple layers of stakeholders, including individual consumers,

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utilities, policy-makers and others. Climate change is another complex interaction, another seemingly intangible issue that requires careful analysis and coordination. Mayor Joe Riley, Charleston, S.C. argues that “Climate change could be a new filter through which development decisions are made.”4

SustainableComprehensivePlansCNT researched the comprehensive plans of cities acknowledged for their environmental and sustainable focus and found the following common characteristics. These cities:

Encourage infill/brownfield development and use of vacant buildings;Discourage greenfield development, especially that which will contribute to sprawling growth;Promote the density as an important tool that can strengthen the downtown/core area, expand the range in housing choice, reduce reliance on cars, and protect open space;Discourage development that is only accessible by car;Encourage development that supports multi-modal transportation (public transit, bike, pedestrian-friendly);Encourage mixed use developments and neighborhood nodes;Discuss energy in way that connects to both built and natural environments;Provide numerical benchmarks for measuring success (or lack of it);Acknowledge responsibility of the city to “lead by example” in environmental initiatives that ultimately will require broad citizen participation;Employ comprehensive plan processes that involve a full range of stakeholders in visioning and goal-setting.

SustainableComprehensivePlans:BestPractices

Examine energy and the impacts of both where and how we build. In the 1990’s the City of Burlington (Vermont) Municipal Plan outlined a recommendation to develop energy efficient design guidelines for all new construction and renovation projects. The design review process is currently implemented in partnership between the Burlington Electric Department (BED) and the Planning and Development Department. The 2006 Municipal Plan calls for continued updates based on new technologies.

Another action item within the 2006 Municipal Plan conveys the city’s pioneering energy attitude once again, as the recommendation to “examine the costs and benefits of requiring new development to either pay an energy impact fee or make an offsetting investment in energy efficiency.” Responsible parties assigned to this action item include a partnership between BED and Planning.

Encourage multi-modal transportation as a means for supporting responsible, coordinated growth and development. The Minneapolis Plan for Sustainable Growth (MPLS Plan) outlines a comprehensive approach to transportation and notes that “the health of the City as well as the region depends on confronting transportation challenges and ensuring continued investment and growth.”5 The components of the transportation plan include the need for effective transit, bicycle and pedestrian-friendly amenities, traffic management, consideration of freight movement, and parking management, but also notes the importance of developing transportation priorities that precede or work in concert with future development and growth goals.

Identifying the modal context of areas in the city, and identify modal priorities on each street is highlighted as important policy necessary to support successful streets. For several decades, the MPLS explains that the street grid has changed in a way that simply supports new development and the increasing reliance on the automobile, which has led to “wider streets, narrower sidewalks, the loss of local street connections, conversions of major street to one-way operations, and construction of freeways.”6 These changes in the street grid also unintentionally changed the surrounding neighborhood context. By identifying new modal priorities citywide, Minneapolis is poised to connect and reconnect, claim and reclaim areas of the city that will benefit most from multiple modes of transportation in order to support existing populations and

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expected growth.

Encourage infill/brownfield development and use of vacant buildings. The Connecting Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan includes a map and list of land development opportunities available citywide and also broken down into specific neighborhoods. An invaluable economic development tool, this lot-by-lot listing combined with potential use and re-use are an indicator that the city is serious about redeveloping its central core and underserved neighborhoods.

The Plan states that “the time has come for all of us to stop thinking of Cleveland as a “Rust Belt” city struggling to regain its glorious but smoky past and start thinking of ourselves as the residents of a dynamic urban center in a most enviable natural setting, planning and laying the groundwork for its exciting future as the Green City on a Blue Lake.”

Comprehensive vision, goal-setting with stakeholder involvement. While many comprehensive plans express visions and goals for their respective cities in a statement or bullet-point list, the Seattle Comprehensive Plan describes a well-thought out vision and a roadmap to get there. Stakeholders involved in the City of Seattle’s planning process first identified a set of basic values, and from this emerged certain core values of community; environmental stewardship; economic opportunity and security; and social equity. These core values serve as guiding principles of the Comprehensive Plan and “the ultimate measure of its success or failure.”7

Long known for its commitment to the environment, the four core values (above) are then reflected upon as “key components of sustainability. Separately, they are necessary but insufficient; taken together they become a solid foundation upon which to build a sustainable future.”8 Further within the vision, the plan clearly expresses the vision that Seattle is and should continue to be a city for families where the city “will remain home to a wide variety of people…welcome newcomers and ensure that our community’s children can choose to make their future home here as adults.”9 Not stopping here, the vision describes particular areas where these goals can be achieved in the comprehensive plan, including land use (mixed use neighborhoods), housing choice, and multimodal transportation/safety.

Finally, the vision section concludes with concrete mechanisms for plan implementation and ensuring that the values and goals expressed at the onset are being considered, measured and met. Among the action-oriented implementation tools is a neighborhood planning initiative, coordination with other regional jurisdictions, adoption/amendment of regulations, a strategic investment strategy to direct the allocation of resources, and a system for plan monitoring and evaluation. Both neighborhood planning and plan monitoring and evaluation rely heavily on ongoing stakeholder participation.

Incorporate sustainable education and citizen involvement. In the overview to its Sustainability Chapter, the Connecting Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan makes the important connection between achieving sustainability goals and important behavioral change. “Sustainability…requires more than protection of our natural environment and our physical health. Just as important is the commitment to the minds of our children and all Clevelanders—providing them with the education that will enable them to adapt to ever-changing economic and social circumstances.”10 The Plan incorporates this theme throughout each chapter of the comprehensive plan. Some examples of innovative recommendations include:

Provide technical assistance to local community development corporations involved in neighborhood development projects; Provide educational opportunities and cultural events in neighborhoods involving health, environmental, public safety, arts and other topics; Use local food production as an education tool on sustainability for entrepreneurship skill-building;Expand public/private partnerships to involve individuals and groups in the care and enhancement of habitat for native plants and wildlife; Develop a marketing campaign to target public officials, developers and general public about

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reasons for and benefits of high performance building;Develop global warming action plan; show residents and businesses how to estimate their greenhouse gas emissions and how to identify potential reduction opportunities;Promote the development of brownfields by community development organizations to encourage development that meets community needs; Provide recycling assistance to multi-family housing complexes and consider installing recycling receptacles that are easily accessible and user-friendly.

Plan-itAllen! is a comprehensive plan for both the City of Fort Wayne and Allen County. The plan was revised and approved in 2007 with a lengthy, participatory planning process. The plan reflects many sustainable planning concepts and provides the framework to guide Fort Wayne (and Allen County) to a more sustainable future. Since its adoption, the city’s Land Use and Zoning Department has merged with Allen County’s Planning Services Department. Later this year they will begin the complicated task of revising the zoning ordinance.

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Sustainable Zoning OrdinancesA sustainable zoning ordinance, first and foremost, should be based on a sustainable comprehensive plan. Through his groundbreaking work at the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute, Chris Duerksen suggests that a sustainable zoning code will have the following characteristics:

Covers a broader range of topics;Integrates natural and man-made systems;Draws on useful features of other code types; and Tailored regionally to climate and ecology.11

Sustainable Zoning: Best Practices by City

Boulder, Colorado The zoning ordinance for the City of Boulder, Colorado contains a number of model sustainability features.

GreenBuildingModeling after a select few other cities across the country, in late 2007 the city approved a mandatory green building program and points system for all residential new construction, remodels or additions that are single-family, multi-family and even within mixed use developments. Final permitting mandates specific energy efficiency code requirements, a document energy audit (rehab) or HERS index rating (new construction), 50% efficiency lighting, 50% recycling of construction waste, and 65% of waste diverted from landfill for demolition projects. In addition to mandatory requirements, each project must meet the prescribed points target from a “pick-and-choose” menu of options. Overall “green points” are calculated in the areas of site development, building rehabilitation, waste management, energy efficiency, and sustainable products.

SolarEnergyThe city is a leader in incorporating the very real potential for solar energy, including an entire section on solar access applicable to individual private property owners, city-owned properties and also required for the approval of new developments. The city is divided into three solar access (SA) areas to achieve maximum solar access protection that is “consistent with planned densities, topography and lot configurations and orientations.”12 Residential units in all three SA areas include the following roof requirements:

Oriented within 30 degrees of a true east-west direction;Flat or not-sloped towards true north;Physically/structurally able to support 75ft2 of solar collectors for each individual unit; andUnimpeded solar access.

LandscapingElsewhere within the city’s zoning ordinance, Boulder’s landscaping standards go far beyond the average municipal landscaping guidelines, encouraging sustainable landscapes and important to sustainability, the promotion of irrigation efficiency through specialized landscaping design, selection of plants (native and other non-invasive “introduced” plants), soil and mulch usage, and proper maintenance.

Aspen, Colorado and Pitkin County, Colorado

RenewableEnergyMitigationProgramAmong the typical zoning fees required for residential new construction, owners are charged an additional fee per square foot of construction over 5000 ft2 and another amount up to $100,000 if they exceed an energy budget as dictated by the building code.13 Collected fees fall under the Renewable Energy Mitigation Program (REMP) and are used to reach a goal of keeping 3 tons of carbon from the air for every excess ton put into it. According to Aspen’s CORE, the Community Office for Resource Efficiency, REMP projects include funding energy efficiency enhancements at major public buildings, solar hot water systems

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and green design elements in affordable housing projects and other public buildings, a solar production incentive payment program that pays for energy produced by photovoltaic systems, efficient appliance rebates, a car-sharing program, a zero-interest loan program that pays the interest on loans for efficiency enhancements, and Reudi Creek Hydro, a 15KW hydro system that will produce 150,0000 KWh/year while eliminating 125 tons of GHG per year.14

Austin, Texas

SmartGrowthInitiative The City of Austin created its Smart Growth Initiative in the 1990’s, similar to a zoning overlay district, which is a delineated area superimposed over the current zoning jurisdiction, and adds additional rules and regulations that target specific goals. This combination of policy and program in action outlined where and how Austin would grow, improving quality of life through revitalization of existing downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, and enhancing the tax base. City officials delineated an area of the city called the “desired development zone” where development proposals were subject to a checklist that went above and beyond zoning ordinance requirements. The Smart Growth Matrix was a development tool that allowed plan reviewers to give points on a weighted scale for important factors like project location, proximity to transit, pedestrian friendly urban design, compliance with nearby neighborhood plans, and tax base increase. This qualitative measurement system automatically ranked projects that could then be eligible for financial assistance from the city through development fee waivers and new or improved public infrastructure investments. The matrix was also a helpful guide for potential developers considering projects for the area. The Smart Growth Initiative was successful in reinvigorating areas of Austin. When the program ended in 2003, 400 new residential units and 550,000 ft2 of commercial space had been developed, resulting in $200 million added to the tax roll.

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Putting It All Together How Plan-it Allen! and the City of Fort Wayne Zoning Ordinance can help Fort Wayne achieve theirsustainabilitygoals

CNT reviewed Plan-itAllen!, the comprehensive plan that was officially adopted by the City of Fort Wayne in March 2007, followed by other city and county approvals in the spring and early summer. As indicated by its name, Plan-itAllen! is a plan for the entire county, not just Fort Wayne. This feature is one that the Congress for New Urbanism points to as an important component of new urban plans that are “multi-jurisdictional”, addressing “growth and change on a variety of scales from the region down to the building and block. The plans address the jurisdiction’s role, position and strategic advantage in the region and use this as the formative basis for developing the vision and guiding future growth, development and conservation.”15

Plan-ItAllen! has a significant role in creating a more sustainable Fort Wayne. The Plan lays out the vision and goals for Fort Wayne and Allen County proper. It is a road map that the city and county have agreed to follow.

The type of policy instrument(s) that the City of Fort Wayne selects to encourage sustainability will likely include a range of “forcefulness” as seen in the graphic below from the City of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada.16 Understanding policy types and determining when the appropriate time is for each may be helpful to city officials.

Clearly, one significant policy tool for achieving the sustainability goals within Plan-ItAllen! is by way of Fort Wayne’s Zoning Ordinance. The zoning ordinance is a powerful tool that can either further or hinder the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. Without an effective zoning ordinance, PlanItAllen’s commendable efforts towards a sustainable Fort Wayne will not bear fruit.

Now it’s up to Fort Wayne to “re-tool” and update its zoning ordinance to reflect the plan’s ideas and put them into action. According to City staff, the zoning ordinance will undergo an extensive re-write process in the near future.17 Linked to the sustainable comprehensive plan, the zoning ordinance should be enhanced and revised to:

Remove obstacles that are typical with standard zoning ordinance formats/types;Create rewards or incentives for sustainable practices within the ordinance; andInstitute regulatory control instead of voluntary participation when possible.

By removing obstacles from the Fort Wayne Zoning Ordinance, the city of Fort Wayne has the opportunity

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to increase its sustainability in ways that are not currently noted within the zoning ordinance. Removing obstacles in this case can be easily defined as “making room for a broader range of topics in a changing world,” which is a characteristic of sustainable codes. As already established the zoning ordinance will play a key role in the sustainability of Fort Wayne. These changes to the ordinance could later contribute to revisions in the comprehensive plan at the appropriate time.

Table 1. Possible Revisions to Zoning OrdinanceNew Topic Area Remove ObstaclesEnergy Conservation/Production Increase height limits for wind turbines (all districts, including historic districts

that are typically restrictive);

Permit solar panels/collectors as accessory use (all districts, including historic districts that are typically restrictive);

Density bonuses; fee waivers; expedited permit process; identify suitable wind power sites;

Solar access requirements per site; solar access/orientation for subdivision development; prohibit wind power in flyways/migratory areas; preserve land areas with wind potential;

Allow reflective roofs in all districts.

Water Conservation Permit “water harvesting” (collection of rainwater for irrigation) in all districts

Climate Change Allow green roofs as standard (to offset emissions);

Mixed use and/or TOD as standard, with total separation of uses strongly discouraged (to reduce reliance on cars).

Food Production Permit farmers markets in urban areas;

Permit greenhouse as permitted use/accessory use.

There are certain sections in today’s version of the Fort Wayne Zoning Ordinance that can be modified and amended to more closely reflect many of the sustainable objectives expressed in Plan-itAllen!. As such, select objectives listed in the tables that follow are categorized in order of their appearance in the plan, and how it can be codified in the zoning ordinance. In most cases, codifying could be done through either incentive (and thus voluntary) programs, and/or mandatory (regulatory) programs. Some involve the creation of new commissions or groups that oversee particular interests, and those are listed in the regulatory section. Given the connected relationship between land use, economic development, housing, transportation and other components of planning for growth, many of Plan-itAllen’s sustainable objectives are similar in purpose. Thus, many of the ideas presented for incentivizing or mandating sustainability are also similar, and in many cases, the same. It should be noted, then, that the suggestions below are ideas for consideration and not intended to be one all-encompassing approach to achieving sustainability. Coordinating the zoning ordinance with each comprehensive plan objective may take one regulatory action, or it may take a combination of incentive programs and mandates for each one.


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Land UseBelow are land use objectives that promote the long-term sustainability of Fort Wayne. Following this list are potential ways to codify them. LU1: Encourage carefully planned growth by utilizing the conceptual development map as part of the community’s land use decision-making process

LU2: Use land resources more efficiently by encouraging new development within the Conceptual Development Map Growth Areas which are adjacent to existing development;

LU3: Use land resources efficiently by encouraging new development, revitalization and redevelopment in areas already served by infrastructure;

LU4: Discourage unplanned growth in areas not currently served by public municipal or private corporate sanitary sewer facilities;

LU5: Encourage sustainable growth and quality development, revitalization and redevelopment by increasing and enhancing connectivity;

LU6: Encourage carefully planned sustainable growth and coordinated development by encouraging mixed land uses;

LU7: Encourage sustainable growth by conserving natural features and environmentally sensitive land with significant value;

LU8: Use land resources efficiently by encouraging compact development alternatives in infill areas where utilities and other infrastructure currently exist; and

LU10: Encourage sustainable growth by promoting quality, compatible infill development revitalization and redevelopment in the Fort Wayne urban area.

Incentives and Disincentives (not required)

Regulatory (required)

Use Concept Development Growth Area to create “development incentive program”, providing expediting permit and review process, fee waivers, other forms of technical assistance for proposed developments within the area (LU1; LU2; LU3; also ES5)

Fee reductions/waivers for transit-oriented design development; expedited permit process for TOD (LU5; also H5; T1)

Fee reductions/waivers, expedited permit and review process for mixed use developments in targeted areas (LU6; also H6)

Fee reductions/waivers for development for infill development in targeted area(s) (LU8; LU10)

Expedited permit process; expedited review process for brownfield redevelopment (LU1)

Expedited permit process; density bonuses for development within development area (LU2; 3)

Expedited permit process for infill development projects in targeted area(s) (LU8; 10)

Encourage shared off-street parking requirements among small businesses or in business nodes (by reducing number of required parking spaces per individual business) (LU5; also T1)

Mandatory growth boundaries that prohibit or strongly discourage greenfield development outside of the growth area (LU1; LU2; LU3; LU4; LU10; also ES5)

Require energy budget calculations (how much energy will be used) for all new development that becomes part of the development review process (LU1; also U2; U3)

Consider potential for instituting an energy impact fee for all greenfield development outside of the growth area boundaries that will go to fund energy efficiency programs or other related programs. (LU1; LU2; LU3; LU4; also U2; U3)

Require utilities to submit annual consumption data by premise for all new construction built outside of the growth area boundaries. (LU1; LU2; LU3; LU4; also U2;U3)

Increase other impact fees for greenfield development outside of the growth area boundaries (to the degree in which new development is costing the city as a whole) (LU1; 2; 3; 4)

Enact solar access site requirements for all new construction. (LU2; LU7; also U2)

Enact solar access/orientation requirements for all new subdivisions. (LU2; LU7; also U2)

Enact mandatory water-conserving (xeriscape) landscaping requirements for all commercial development; (LU3; LU4; also ES3; CI1)


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Reduce parking requirements (and consider other attractive incentives) for large employers who provide transit passes to employees (LU5; also T2; T3)

Reduce parking requirements (and consider other attractive incentives) for all employers who provide amenities for cyclists (bike racks, storage, shower facilities, etc) (LU5; also T2; T3)

Reduce or eliminate free parking and below-market parking for city employees (LU5; also T1)

U-Pass unlimited transit pass for distinct area for a segment of population (LU5; also T2; T3)

Develop mixed use target zones with specific/desired types of residential and commercial uses (LU6; also H6)

Density bonuses for mixed use developments in downtown (LU6; also H6)

Create voluntary agricultural land bank program (LU7; also ES1; CI2)

Provide landscaping credits for preservation of existing trees (LU7; also H2; ES3; CI1 U6)

Provide bonuses for permeable surfaces that would otherwise be concrete or asphalt (LU7; also ES3; CI1)

Provide landscaping credits for use of native plants over those that require significantly more irrigation and resources. (LU7; also ES1; ES2)

Technical design review assistance program for infill development in targeted area(s) (LU8; LU10; also ED4; ED5; CI3; CI4)

Require all new greenfield development to pay for all expansion utilities. (LU3; LU4; also U2; U3)

Require multimodal transportation network connectivity plan for all “greenfield” development. (LU5; also H5; T3; T4; CF2)

Create on-street bike plan for purposeful (not just recreational travel), starting with downtown core, surrounding neighborhoods and major thoroughfares (LU5; also H5; T3; T4; CF2)

Consider returning street grid system to two-way travel patterns instead of one-way “speed zones. (LU5; also H5; T3)

Allow car-sharing spaces and adjust calculation of required spaces that is comparable to number of cars taken of the street. (LU5; LU8; also T1)

Adding on-street parking, traffic calming (downtown) and other traffic areas like neighborhoods. (LU5; also T1)

Allow for higher densities in urbanized area, especially downtown and surrounding area (LU6; LU8; LU10; also H4; H5; H6)

Create more mixed use districts in appropriate areas (downtown and surrounding area; other identified nodes such as high traffic neighborhoods) (LU6; LU8; LU10; also H4; H5; H6)

Enact agricultural/woodlands/ wetlands protection programs that prohibit development in certain areas. (LU7; also ES1; ES2; ES3; CI1; CI2)

Require wildlife species/habitat list with development in all new greenfield development. (LU7; also ES1; ES2; CI1)

Consider strengthening landscape ordinance/requirements to require percentage of native plants/species (LU7; also ES2)

Enact commercial and residential energy codes to most recent IECC (or comparable) standards (LU7; also ES6)

Reduce required off-street parking for large residential and commercial buildings (LU8)


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Economic DevelopmentBelow are economic development objectives that promote the long-term sustainability of Fort Wayne. Following this list are potential ways to codify them.

ED2: Invest in strategic infrastructure and public services to support and guide future high-quality economic development;

ED4: Encourage existing business retention and expansion, as well as the reuse and revitalization of existing industrial properties and areas; and

ED5: Treat downtown Fort Wayne as one of the most important economic development locations.

Incentives and Disincentives (not required) Regulatory (required)Fee reductions/waivers, expedited permit and review process for high-quality economic development (e.g. green business; technology; downtown area) (ED2)

Fee waivers, technical assistance expedited permit and review process for redevelopment of vacant industrial buildings and brownfield sites (ED4)

Fee waivers, technical assistance expedited permit and review process for existing business rehab projects (ED4)

Fee reductions/waivers, expedited permit and review process for redevelopment of existing buildings (ED5)

Technical design review assistance program for infill development in targeted area(s) (ED4; ED5; also LU8; LU10; CI3; CI4)

Establish tax increment finance districts (TIF) and target funding infrastructure priorities (ED2)

Establish added impact fees that support future development (ED2)

Establish TIF or special improvement district for improvements in existing businesses (e.g. façade, energy efficiency) (ED4)

Establish TIF or downtown special improvement district for downtown improvements in (e.g. façade, streetscape, multimodal transit, other) (ED5)

Establish multimodal transportation plan that connects city and treats downtown as destination point (ED5; also T2; T3; T4)


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Housing and NeighborhoodBelow are housing and neighborhood objectives that promote the long-term sustainability of Fort Wayne. Following this list are potential ways to codify them.

H2: Promote attractive neighborhoods;

H3: Build on the assets and stabilize existing neighborhoods;

H4: Provide housing choice within neighborhoods;

H5: Provide connectivity; and

H6: Promote mixed uses along with proximity of uses.

Incentives and Disincentives (not required) Regulatory (required)Provide landscaping credits for preservation of existing trees (H2; also LU7; ES3; CI1)

Allow community gardens as an open space set aside (H2)

Community garden program for unused vacant city lots, transferring ownership to community organizations or school; (H3)

Density bonuses, fee reductions/waivers, expedited permit and review process for residential development with percentage of affordable housing (not all-in-one, different incentives for different targets) (H4)

Fee reductions/waivers for transit-oriented design development; expedited permit process for TOD (H5; also LU5)

Develop mixed use target zones with specific/desired types of residential and commercial uses (H6; also LU6)

Fee reductions/waivers, expedited permit and review process for mixed use developments in targeted areas (H6; also LU6)

Density bonuses for mixed uses developments in downtown (H6; also LU6)

Neighborhood/context sensitive design guidelines (H2; H3)

Enhanced landscaping requirements for new construction and rehabilitation projects (H2)

Neighborhood planning initiative connected to comprehensive plan or other ordinance/resolution process (H2; H3; also CI3; CF2)

Allow for higher densities in urbanized area (H4; H5; H6; also LU6; LU8; LU10)

Create more mixed use districts in appropriate area (downtown and surrounding area; other identified nodes) (H4; H5; H6; also LU6; LU8; LU10)

Require multimodal transportation network connectivity plan for all greenfield development. (H5; also LU5; T3; T4; CF2)

Create on-street bike plan for purposeful (not just recreational) travel, starting with the downtown core, surrounding neighborhoods and major thoroughfares. (H5; also LU5; T3; T4; CF2)

Consider returning street grid system to two-way travel patterns instead of one-way “speed zones” (H5; also LU5; T3)


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TransportationBelow are transportation objectives that promote the long-term sustainability of Fort Wayne. Following this list are potential ways to codify them.

T1: Improve vehicular transportation throughout the region while accounting for air quality standards and noise mitigation;

T2: Work with appropriate agencies to expand public transportation opportunities, with attention to bus, rail and air travel;

T3: Encourage and plan for fully accessible and safe alternative transportation options and infrastructure; and

T4: Provide for integrated, interconnected modes of transportation.

Incentives and Disincentives (not required) Regulatory (required)Encourage shared parking requirements among small businesses or in business nodes (T1; also LU5)

Fee reductions/waivers for transit-oriented design (TOD) development; expedited permit process for TOD (T1; also LU5; H5)

Reduce or eliminate free parking and below-market parking for city employees (T1; also LU5)

Reduce parking requirements (and consider other attractive incentives) for large employers who provide transit passes to employees (T2; T3; also LU5)

Reduce parking requirements (and consider other attractive incentives) for all employers who provide amenities for cyclists (bike racks, storage, shower facilities, etc…) (T2; T3; also LU5)

U-Pass unlimited transit pass for distinct area for a segment of population (T2; T3; also LU5)

Reduce required off-street parking in downtown core and commercial areas (T1; T2)

Allow car-sharing spaces and adjust calculation of required spaces that is comparable to number of cars taken off the street. (T1; also LU5 and LU8)

Enact strict no-idling law (T1)

Adding on-street parking, traffic calming (downtown) and other traffic areas like neighborhoods. (T1; also LU5)

Allow on-street parking at all times to serve as a pedestrian barrier (and adjust rates to what market will absorb) (T3; also CF2)

Require multimodal transportation network connectivity plan for all greenfield development. (T3; T4; also LU5; H5; CF2)

Create on-street bike plan for purposeful (not just recreational) travel, starting with the downtown core, surrounding neighborhoods and major thoroughfares. (T3; T4; also LU5; H5; CF2)

Consider returning street grid system to two-way travel patterns instead of one-way “speed zones” (T3; also LU5; H5)

Establish multimodal transportation plan that connects city and treats downtown as destination point (T2; T3; T4; also ED5)


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Environmental StewardshipBelow are environmental stewardship objectives that promote the long-term sustainability of Fort Wayne. Following this list are potential ways to codify them.

ES1: Ensure the conservation of significant land resources, including but not limited to, agricultural lands, woodlands and wetlands;

ES2: Protect wildlife habitats and limit invasive species;

ES3: Preserve and improve the quality of groundwater and surface water resources;

ES4: Protect the natural and built environment through comprehensive floodplain management initiatives;

ES5: Encourage brownfield redevelopment; and

ES6: Encourage utilization of green building technologies to promote sustainable development.



Create voluntary agricultural land bank program (ES1 also LU7; CI2)

Provide landscaping credits for preservation of existing trees (ES3; also LU7; H2; CI1)

Provide bonuses for permeable surfaces that would otherwise be concrete or asphalt (ES3 also LU7; CI1; U6)

Provide landscaping credits for use of native plants over those that require significantly more irrigation and resources. (ES1; ES2; also LU7)

Use Concept Development Growth Area to create “development incentive program”, providing expediting permit and review process, fee waivers, other forms of technical assistance for proposed developments within the area (ES5; also LU1, LU2; LU3)

Voluntary green building program with expedited permit process and fee waivers (ES6)

Enact agricultural/woodlands/ wetlands protection programs that prohibit development in certain areas. (ES1; ES2; ES3; also LU7; CI1; CI2)

Require wildlife species/habitat list with development in all new greenfield development. (ES1; ES2; also LU7; CI1)

Consider strengthening landscape ordinance/requirements to require percentage of native plants/species (ES2; also LU7)

Enact mandatory water-conserving (xeriscape) landscaping requirements for all commercial development; (ES3; also LU3; LU4; CI1)

Require permeable surfaces that would otherwise be concrete or asphalt for all new construction commercial development whenever possible. (ES3; also CI1; U6)

Enact tougher floodplain regulations (ES4; also CI1)

Mandatory growth boundaries that prohibit or strongly discourage greenfield development outside of the growth area (ES5; also LU1, LU2, LU3, LU4 and LU10)

Mandatory green building program for all residential new construction and substantial rehab (E6)

Enact commercial and residential energy codes to most recent IECC (or comparable) standards (ES6; also LU7)


Community Identity and AppearanceBelow are community identity and appearance objectives that promote the long-term sustainability of Fort Wayne. Following this list are potential ways to codify them.

CI1: Renew, protect and enhance the rivers and other significant waterways that define the region;

CI2: Preserve agricultural landscapes;

CI3: Promote the revitalization of urban neighborhoods;

CI4: Enhance community appearance and design quality; and

CI5: Identify, preserve and protect historic sites and districts.

Incentives and Disincentives (not required) Regulatory (required)Provide landscaping credits for preservation of existing trees (CI1; also LU7; H2; ES3)

Provide bonuses for permeable surfaces that would otherwise be concrete or asphalt (CI1; also LU7; ES3; U6)

Create voluntary agricultural land bank/preservation program (CI2; also LU7; ES1)

n/a (Note: though neighborhood planning should be connected to regulatory process, a selective process to include only a few neighborhoods at a time-as funds permit-could be an incentive for multiple stakeholders) (CI3)

Property Maintenance administration and enforcement enhancements (e.g. expanded hours; outreach by City to specific neighborhoods, e.g. “problem areas”) (CI4; also CF2)

Institute financial incentive programs for residential and commercial redevelopment (CI5)

Technical design review assistance program for infill development in targeted area(s) (CI3; CI4; also LU8; LU10 ED4; ED5)

Enact agricultural/woodlands/ wetlands protection programs that prohibit development in certain areas. (CI1; CI2; also ES1; ES2; ES3; and LU7)

Enact mandatory water-conserving (xeriscape) landscaping requirements for all commercial development; (CI1; also ES3; LU3; and LU4)

Require permeable surfaces that would otherwise be concrete or asphalt for all new construction commercial development whenever possible. (CI1; also ES3; U6)

Enact tougher floodplain regulations (CI1; also ES4)

Require wildlife species/habitat list with development in all new greenfield development. (CI1; also ES1; ES2; LU7)

Neighborhood planning initiative connected to comprehensive plan or other ordinance/resolution process (CI3; also H2; H3; CF2)

Neighborhood/context sensitive design guidelines (CI3; CI4; also H2; H3)

Create location-specific historic neighborhood design guidelines; initiate historic district designations where deemed appropriate (CI5)

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Community FacilitiesBelow are community facilities objectives that promote the long-term sustainability of Fort Wayne. Following this list are potential ways to codify them.

CF2: Enhance public safety services, reduce crime and improve perceptions of public safety; and

CF3: Sustain and improve high quality parks and recreational opportunities throughout the county.

Incentives and Disincentives (not required) Regulatory (required)Property Maintenance administration and enforcement enhancements (e.g. expanded hours; outreach by City to specific neighborhoods, e.g. “problem areas”) (CF2; also CI4)

Density bonuses, fee reductions/waivers, expedited permit and review process for additional open space amenities provided in new development projects (CF3)

Neighborhood planning initiative connected to comprehensive plan or other ordinance/resolution process (by allowing stakeholders to express issues and identify solutions) (CF2; also CI3; H2; and H3)

Allow on-street parking at all times to serve as a pedestrian barrier (and adjust rates to what market will absorb) (CF2; alsoT3)

Require multimodal transportation network connectivity plan for all greenfield development. (CF2; also LU5; H5; T3; T4)

Create on-street bike plan for purposeful (not just recreational) travel, starting with the downtown core, surrounding neighborhoods and major thoroughfares. (CF2; also LU5; H5; T3; T4)

Increase required open space contributions (land or cash) for all new development (CF3)

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UtilitiesBelow are utilities objectives that promote the long-term sustainability of Fort Wayne. Following this list are potential ways to codify them.

U1: Ensure cooperative decision making and uniform standards for protecting water quality throughout the region;

U2: Utilize the conceptual development map as part of the community’s utility decision-making process;

U3: The dual goals, to provide infrastructure to new development and maintain the existing system in accordance with federal standards, should be planned for in a coordinated countywide manner;

U4: Improve and expand sanitary sewer systems within conceptual development map areas; and

U6: Enhance stormwater management and drainage systems.

Incentives and Disincentives (not required) Regulatory (required)Provide bonuses for permeable surfaces that would otherwise be concrete or asphalt (U6; also LU7; H2; ES3; CI1)

Create a city/county partnership to examine regional water resource management for long term planning and prioritization (U1; U3; U4)

Require all new greenfield development to pay for all expansion utilities (U2; U3 also LU3and LU4)

Enact solar access site requirements for all new construction. (U2; also LU2 and LU7)

Enact solar access/orientation requirements for all new subdivisions. (U2; also LU2 and LU7)

Require utilities to submit annual consumption data by premise for all new construction built outside of the growth area boundaries. (U2; U3; also LU1; LU2; LU3; and LU4)

Create utility/county partnership to examine current energy use, current land use and expected population growth to gauge potential impact and potential for coordinated, long term energy planning and prioritization (U2; U3)

Require energy budget calculations (how much energy will be used) for all new development that becomes part of the development review process (U2; U3; also LU1)

Consider potential for instituting an energy impact fee for all greenfield development outside of the growth area boundaries that will go to fund energy efficiency programs or other related programs. (U2; U3; also LU1; LU2; LU3; LU4)

Require permeable surfaces that would otherwise be concrete or asphalt for all new construction commercial development whenever possible. (U6; also CI1)

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Next StepsPlan-itAllen! provides the framework for a more sustainable Fort Wayne. However, in order to achieve the vision laid out in the plan, concrete action by both the city and supportive stakeholders is crucial. Each step is define in greater detail in the sections that follow.

Inventory existing programs and departments that are related or would have jurisdiction/involvement with moving the objectives in Plan-it Allen forward to action Categorize and prioritize areas of sustainability for Fort Wayne using the same stakeholder base from the comprehensive planning process (e.g. transportation; housing; mixed use) Seek sustainability action projects that result in “quick wins” (low-hanging fruit theory)

Step 1: Categorize and PrioritizeClearly there are many directions the City of Fort Wayne could go in sustainability. Do we begin with housing and mixed uses? What about the downtown core and economic development? Or maybe it’s taking a good look at transportation? A team of city officials (elected; non-elected; planners; engineers, etc…) should gather first to discuss and organize a discussion on the potential ideas for acting on objectives of the plan. Then the city should take stock in its organized group of stakeholders from the comprehensive planning process over the last few years, inviting them back to the table. Prioritization could be done in a number of ways that involve creative, hands-on exercises in a large scale meeting.

This could occur in concert with the public input process that will take place during the zoning ordinance re-write, and may be best suited for this, since the focus is not really how we act on sustainability objectives in the plan, but moreover, how those objectives are translated into ordinance, which in turn, mandates action. The important point here is that the general public is consulted and given a voice (again).

Step 2: Inventory Existing Programs and DepartmentsThe objectives within Plan-it Allen! were not written in a vacuum. Surely there were programs and departments that were already in mind. Staff should carefully examine the sustainability-related objectives and determine a list of departmental partners and existing projects.

Step 3: Sustainability Action Project “Quick Wins”Nothing motivates people more than knowing they can succeed. The “low-hanging fruit” theory suggests that you go after the easy, little things (such as anti-idling laws) first before tackling larger issues (setting 50-year carbon emission reduction goals). Some quick ways to get both city departments and stakeholders on board with the concept that Fort Wayne can be and is sustainable include the following:

Require businesses to turn off signs at night;Allow solar panels as accessory use in all zoning districts;Ease height limitations for wind turbines (specifically) in all zoning districts;Permit water harvesting tanks as accessory use in all zoning districts (with varying size limits);Allow new developments to include community gardens as open space requirement.

1.

2.

3.

•••••

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Endnotes1 “Our Common Future”, 1987, Oxford: Oxford University Press.2 “The Letters of Thomas Jefferson: 1743-1826”, September 6, 1789.3 “The American Planning Association Talks Sustainability”, May 2007, Post Carbon Cities Energy Bulletin.4 Lewis, Megan. American Planning Association presentation “Energy and Climate Change: The Role of Planning”, November 6, 2007. 5 MPLS Plan Draft 12/1/07, Chapter 2: Transportation, pp. 12-13.6 MPLS Plan Draft 12/1/07, Chapter 2: Traponsportation p. 3.7 Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan: Vision for the Comprehensive Plan page v.8 Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan: Vision for the Comprehensive Plan page viii.9 Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan: Vision for the Comprehensive Plan page ix.10 Sustainability Overview (draft), Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan, http://planning.city. cleveland.oh.us/cwp/sus_oview.php on 2/7/2008.11 Duerksen, Chris and James van Hemert. Sustainable Community Development Code Reform Project presentation. Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute, 2006: Denver.12 City of Boulder Land Use Code. “Solar Access”, Section 9-9-17(c). 13 City of Aspen Municipal Code, Title 8 Buildings and Building Regulations, Section 8.20.010.14 Aspen CORE Website, February 2008, http://www.aspencore.org/sitepages/pid56.php.15 Congress for New Urbanism website, “New Urbanism & Comprehensive Plans Progress Report”, March 2008, http://www.cnu.org/compplans_progress. 16 Yellowknife Community Energy Plan, July 2006.17 Conversation with Planning Director Pam Holocher on March 7, 2008.

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